Telstra BroadbandPlans

Telstra has a long and rich history in the Australian telecommunications industry. Telstra initially started as a government owned organisation and was founded by the Commonwealth in 1975. Back then, Telstra was the country’s only telco and they were solely responsible for providing communications connections throughout the country. ...read more

Telstra has a long and rich history in the Australian telecommunications industry. Telstra initially started as a government owned organisation and was founded by the Commonwealth in 1975. Back then, Telstra was the country’s only telco and they were solely responsible for providing communications connections throughout the country.

See how Telstra stacks up against other providers

Compare Broadband cannot guarantee that all plans or providers shown will be available at your property address. Connection and plan availability will need to be confirmed by the internet service provider. Additional charges may apply for non-standard connections.

Optus NBN Plans vs Telstra NBN Plans

NBN broadband comparisons

Optus NBN Plans

Telstra NBN Plans

Amrita Bala

18/09/2017 03:44 PM

Welcome to another week of NBN broadband comparisons. In this week’s edition, we will be looking into both Optus and Telstra’s NBN plans that are currently on offer to the public. Both Optus and Telstra are giants in the telco industry, providing consistent and quality broadband connections to homes and offices all around Australia. In this article, we will look at the various plans offered by both companies inclusive of connection speed, data limits and differing prices. Read on to find out more.

Optus NBN Plans - Call 1300 106 571

Optus is one of the leading companies in Australia, proving mobile phone connections and NBN internet connections to hundreds of thousands of us Australians today. From the very get go, Optus offers their $80 My Basics bundle which boasts a basic maximum download speed of 12Mbps, again, the industry standard for Tier 1. For $90 a month, you can choose to upgrade to a Tier 2 speeds of 25Mbps, whilst $100 per month will get you download speeds of up to 50Mbps. If you’re looking for the fastest internet speeds available in today’s market, adding $30 to your My Basic bundle will get you top NBN speeds of up to 100Mbps. Aside from efficient and reliable NBN broadband, all the mentioned plans come with a bonus of unlimited standard local calls to landlines. On top of all that, Optus also offers access to Fetch, starting at $80 a month. All plans are available on a 2 year contract or on a month to month option, with the latter costing you an upfront fee of $200 which will be waived if you commit to Optus long term.

The most basic NBN bundle that Telstra offers comes with maximum download speeds of 25Mbps, with speed boosts available on purchase if you are looking for a speed upgrade. Most bundles start off at $90 a month for 500GB of data on a Medium bundle, $120 for 1000GB and $140 for 1500GB which is essentially unlimited data for the month.

An extra $20 a month will see you upgrading your plan of choice to a ‘Very Fast’ connection with 50Mbps download speeds. Following suit, an additional $30 a month will get you upgraded to Superfast 100 Mbps speeds, the maximum speed available to us today.

Similar to Optus, Telstra NBN broadband plans also come with the option of adding a Foxtel or Telstra TV subscription which gives you access to streaming services such as Netflix and Stan.

Why are TPG and Dodo so cheap, and Telstra so expensive?

What's the catch with cheap plans?

How can some providers provide so many free calls?

What is contention ratio?

Adam Wajnberg

16/08/2017 10:24 AM

When hunting around for a broadband connection, you might eventually find that prices fall into a handful of trenches – very cheap plans with tons of data, expensive plans with lots of services (some of which you may not need) and then BigPond, which is in a price universe all its own.

But why is there such a big price difference between the low and high end of the market? What’s the value differentiator? We all like paying the cheapest price possible, but there’s that aching ‘too good to be true’ sense you get when you see a massive gulf between two companies.

It doesn’t seem right, does it? The TPG plan contains, pound for pound, more value than either the Optus or BigPond plan – but the Optus plan is still reasonable in comparison, while the BigPond plan, to many eyes, seems outrageously expensive. What could Telstra broadband be offering to justify such a gap in price?

Differentiators

Each company that provides telecommunications has a pretty standard checklist of expenses that they have to pay for. In a very, very simplified form, this might be broken down as:

1. Wholesale access price to the infrastructure (ie. cables and networks) that deliver your connection)2. Payroll for customer service, technical support and credit management3. Payroll for engineering staff and back office4. Advertising

An ISP can limit their exposure to these costs in the following ways:

1. Owning their own infrastructure, rather than leasing it off another firm2. Outsourcing customer service and technical support to offshore middle-income economies like India and the Phillipines, 3. Allowing for automatic direct debit only, billing in advance instead of in arrears, so there’s no chasing up customers for unpaid bills4. Outsourcing engineering to contractors5. Keeping advertising to a relative minimum

The three examples we’ve chosen are for companies who are ‘majority wholesalers’. Telstra, Optus and TPG all own their own fibre-optic network, equipment at the exchange, and even their own undersea links. That makes a big difference – it means that for 99% of the connection (100% in Telstra’s case), they own and operate the equipment ferrying your connection to the rest of the world, and don’t have to lease a circuit on another company’s network. For Optus and TPG, the only bit they have to lease is the copper line from the exchange to your home, which belongs to Telstra.

All three companies will engage in some offshoring, either in whole or in part, of their customer service and technical support teams.

TPG has the cheapest and simplest advertising, with print, radio and TV ads that contain no actors, just a price and checklist of what’s on offer. Telstra and Optus have comprehensive national campaigns across all media, as well as huge sponsorship agreements.

Telstra and Optus have the profile of being ‘carrier-grade’. They both own huge mobile networks, satellite links and other hard infrastructure that dwarfs TPG. This contributes to their higher pricing, but their ability to control so much of the delivery should equalize prices as well. More significantly, Telstra and Optus have a deeper brand as older, bigger companies, and they also have a direct retail presence. TPG has no retail stores of its own.

TPG uses direct debit and upfront payments to limit their exposure to unpaid bills – connection fees have to be paid on the spot, and bills are debited automatically from a savings account or credit card. This allows them to operate without debt, to an extent. But it also means that people uncomfortable with this arrangement cannot enjoy their services- this precludes people who like to pay for their bills with cash, in a post office.

Finally, in the case of Telstra being significantly more expensive than both Optus and TPG, it’s worth considering Telstra’s status as the backbone of everyone’s connection. Telstra provides service to the entire country, whereas TPG and Dodo ‘cherry pick’ the distribution areas with high populations. Telstra is the only company that can do this, as it owns the ‘last mile’ network that links every home in the country. The overheads and responsibilities on Telstra are very high, so their higher prices might be construed as their way to balance out the customers who are expensive to service, with those who are cheap to service (a form of cross subsidy). But Telstra would likely be unwilling to attribute their higher prices to that, instead relying on their still-strong brand as justification for higher prices.

Where do the free calls come from?

Phone calls are still actually quite expensive to make, at least the old fashioned way. Though it seems hard to imagine, when you make a standard voice call from Melbourne to Perth, there is an actual physical link right up to each handset. That’s an analogue call.

The alternative is to have your voice sent analogue to the exchange, where your provider repackages it as digital data, sends it along the internet, and repackages it on the other end. This is Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP), no question about it. But unlike VoIP connections used in your home, it incorporates the public analogue telephone service to increase ease of use and audio fidelity.

Switching a landline call to an air call is still expensive though, which is why most free call packages don’t include calls to mobiles. Optus and Telstra are able to do it mainly because they’re the biggest mobile network providers as well, meaning that the fees charged to landline providers for mobile switching goes back into their pockets anyway.

Dodo’s plan is very cheap- but Dodo doesn’t have their own wholesale network.

Internode’s plan is comparatively expensive, and comes with less data, But Internode actually do own their own wholesale network – and as part of the iiNet, are part of their 2nd largest DSL network in Australia. So what gives?

Contention

*DISCALIMER* - Boosting contention is a common method for keeping costs down and allowing for more connections, used by service providers all over the world. But no company releases official figures for how much, where and to what extent they use contention, so the following is purely conjecture.

Dodo is a majority retailer – they don’t own their own network, and rely on Optus, Telstra and Eftel to provide the bulk of their connections – mostly Optus. And even though Optus Wholesale is quite affordable for smaller ISPs, Dodo’s price is still remarkably cheap, given the factors involved. Dodo offshores its tech support and customer service, and despite some pervasive advertising, otherwise adheres to the usual cost-cutting measures for a smaller firm in a very competitive market.

The other way a small firm like Dodo can compete on price is by boosting what’s known as Contention, or Contention Ratios. A really brutal but effective metaphor is a publican cutting his beer with water, but it’s not as bad as all that.

Mobile and Cable broadband are highly contended methods of providing a broadband connection – both rely on customers connecting to a central point with limited capacity, and the more people who jump on, the less speed everyone gets. ADSL (broadband over copper telephone lines, which is the connection method we’re comparing) is less contended – your line services just your home, all the way to the exchange. The exchange is very well fed by fibre optic networks with plenty of spare capacity, and besides – there’s only a limited number of ports at each exchange. At a certain point, the capacity can’t be ‘shared’ anymore.

Or can it? Smaller firms can over-contend an individual port, effectively cutting the speed of two customers in half. Kinda. The effect is more that if one customer is completely ‘maxing out’ their connection, the other customer sharing that port will find their speed suffering.Otherwise, two customers using their connection for lower-bandwidth activities (email, browsing) will find no difference in the quality of connection.

There’s nothing wrong or underhanded with boosting contention ratios. It’s a legitimate way to offer a connection to more people, in a situation with finite resources- and it is, of course, how a companies can keep their prices low in the face of limited resources. Very few people max out their connection speed for more than a few minutes at a time (like when downloading a file, or streaming hi-def video). It can mean internet ‘traffic jams’, when everyone’s connection in a neighbourhood can get congested at busy times – like 6 pm, when everyone has gotten home from work and school and might be downloading movies to watch that evening.

Contention boosting will be less of a problem for fixed-line in the future, when all (or at least most) of the network is replaced with all fibre-optic lines, dramatically boosting the speed and capacity of networks. Or at least, contention might still be used as a cost-cutting measure, but with less noticeable effects thanks to the overall much higher speeds.

It is worth noting - companies that rely on other firms to provide more of their connection will be more likely to use contention. When deciding between two plans that look equal, it's fair to consider to what degree each company relies on another to provide the connection to the internet.

A boutique approach

Internode is more expensive because frankly, they don’t skimp on anything. Internode has always operated as something of a blue-chip, white-glove affair, a network for people who take their connections seriously. They’ve always boasted excellent technology, from the equipment they use to build their network, to the modems and routers they sell. All of their support, sales and service staff are based in Australia, well trained and able to help you with just about anything. Their senior management, right up to founder and former managing director Simon Hackett, regularly engage with their customer base on social media and discussion forums like Whirlpool.

Internode charges more to pay for this extra level of service, and keeps their data limits lower to avoid having to boost contention ratios, or taking other steps that might inadvertently lower the quality of their network.

Conclusion

It’s worth doing your homework before signing up for a plan, but the main differentiators between providers can be more or less summarized like this:

Telstra, Optus – Carrier grade, you’re paying as much for brand as you are for service. TPG, Primus, Eftel – all wholesalers in their own right, lower prices might just be lower because their overheads are lower.

Internode, iiNet – huge wholesale network, but prices are higher to pay for onshore support and service

As always, give us a call on 1300 106 571 and we can help narrow down the wide range of options to a few providers who suit your needs!

Configuring your old iiNet, Telstra or Optus modem to use with your new provider

Most modems are easily reconfigurable

Popular manufacturers include Belkin, Netgear & Netcomm

Telstra, Optus & iiNet all have their own branded modems

Maggy Liu

19/06/2017 12:56 PM

For the most part, fixed plans where you get a ‘free’ mobile phone are easily to understand. For example, in exchange for using a particular service plan for 24 months, mobile providers will gift you with the latest and greatest handset. That’s because, in the long run, the contract offsets the couple of hundred dollar price tag of the device.

With ADSL2+ broadband services, the relationship between hardware and contract length is harder to buy. Many providers still want you to commit to a 2-year contract, but the prize they offer is a modem/router that would only cost you about $100 retail. For many people who have had a broadband connection in the past, the deal is even less appealing– you already have a modem/router, so why would you sign away your flexibility for a piece of hardware that you already own?

The secret these companies don’t want you to know is that modems/routers are very unglamorous technology, more akin to a toaster than a mobile phone. In other words, a good one should last you for years without any need to upgrade, unless standards significantly change or your old one breaks. For the most part, a modem/router is something that sits in a forgotten corner near the phone line, only getting attention once in a blue moon for a reset, or for when the cat needs a warm spot to curl up in.

With that in mind, many service providers now offer short contracts with no modem/router included, to attract people who value flexibility, are on short-term leases, and/or own the hardware already.

Wait a minute…what is a modem/router anyway?

A modem is a device that plugs into your phone line, interprets the electrical signal into something your computer can understand.

Fun fact: “Modem” is a word made up of MOdulator and DEModulator. ‘Modulation’ is the act of turning raw data into transferrable digital bits and pieces; so the modem MOdulates the data you send, and DEModulates the data you receive!

A router on the other hand is a device that takes that connection from the modem, and forwards data from one network to another, in most cases you will have just one piece of technology – a modem-router that handles both tasks.

What do you mean by ‘reconfigure’?

Many modems are not built to meet the specific needs of a particular service provider. They’re made and sold as common pieces of equipment for anyone to buy from a JB Hi-Fi or Harvey Norman store. So when Telstra home internetgives you a modem with your contract, it comes pre-configured with details relevant to the Telstra connection – but you can easily go into the settings of your modem and change some of those settings to work with your new service provider.

Note – these tips are for changing the basic settings only as many of these re-badged modems have certain settings locked, which requires a good deal of technical knowledge to overcome.

Many technical support teams are trained to deal with modems that their company doesn’t offer, so it’s always a good idea to check with technical support too if required.

Telstra modems

For the last 5 or 6 years, Telstra has used modems manufactured by 2Wire and Technicolor. The 2Wire modems are very common, and most technical support teams should be proficient in reconfiguring them.

2Wire 2701HGV-W

Instructions:

1. Open your browser (Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari or Chrome). 2. In the address bar, type in http://gateway.2wire.net3. You will see this screen

4. Click on ‘Broadband Link’ on the top menu5. Select ‘Advanced Settings in the Broadband Link sub-menu6. Under ‘Broadband Network’, select ‘PPPoE’ in the Connection type drop down menu (this will usually be pre-selected)7. In the username and password field, you should see your old Telstra email address and password. Change these to the relevant details with your new service provider, and then click ‘Save’ at the bottom.8. Wait for the modem to re-authenticate. This process usually takes around 2 minutes. Try turning the modem on and off again, or unplugging and replugging it if required.

Technicolour 587NV3

Technicolor used to be known as Thomson, a French 150 year old multi-national company. They changed their name in the hopes of capturing the US market, where their ‘Technicolor’ film technology was their only product with household recognition.

Instructions:

1. Open your browser (Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari or Chrome). 2. In the address bar, type in 192.168.1.254 or http://dsldevice.lan3. You will see this screen

4. Click on Broadband Connection5. Click on Internet services6. Click on Internet7. Click on Details8. In the username and password field you should see your old Telstra email address and password. Change these to the relevant details with your new service provider, and then click ‘Save’ at the bottom.9. Wait for the modem to re-authenticate. This process usually takes around 2 minutes. Try turning the modem on and off again, or unplugging and replugging it if required.

Optus modems

Netgear DG834GU v5

Optus internet plans have been providing this Netgear Wi-Fi modem/router as a freebie for most plans for a little while now, and as such, it’s not the most fantastic modem – but can definitely do the job.

iiNet developed the BoB line of modems to be a router and more. The first one was a rebranded Belkin, and they have just about every feature under the sun, including advanced VoIP configurations. It also doesn’t hurt that they’re also rather sleek and gorgeous to look at.

Belkin’s own N-300 modem is the retail, non-branded equivalent of the first BoB, and adheres to the same commands.

iiNet developed the Bob Lite themselves, including the hardware. Same goes for the Bob 2. For all three of these units, the log-in page is the same.

Instructions:

- Open your browser (Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari or Chrome). - In the address bar, type in 10.1.1.1- If you’re asked for a username and password, the default for both is ‘admin’- In all three modems, there should be an ‘ISP settings’ page. - Enter the appropriate details from your service provider, save and reset and you should be good to go!

As you can see, the method to follow are the same for most of these modems. With a few exceptions, the majority of your old modem/routers can be reconfigured for further use with a new service provider. All you need are the username and password details for your new ISP, and the browser address your modem can be reached at. If you don’t have these on hand, you can always call the manufacturer to access these details.

Telstra NBN Plans vs Belong NBN Plans

Telstra is home to a wide variety of NBN bundles for customers to choose from

Belong NBN Broadband is another fantastic option which offers both lock in and month to month services to all users.

Belong is a highly affordable service for those who are on a budget or are not looking to splash out extravagant amounts for an NBN connection.

Amrita Bala

19/06/2017 12:54 PM

Welcome to this week’s NBN Plan comparison! This time round, we will be looking into plans provided by both Telstra NBN and Belong NBN. Although Belong is a sector that was launched by Telstra itself, both brands offer users different services, plans and pricing points. In this article, we will look at what each brand offers to its users, in a bid to assist you in picking the best NBN plan that suits both you and your family’s needs the best. Read on to find out more!

Telstra

Telstra is home to a wide variety of NBN bundles for customers to choose from, all based on varying data allowances and needs. The most basic of Telstra bundles for the NBN come with maximum download speeds of 25Mbps, with speed boosts available on purchase if you are looking for superfast internet speeds (ideal for those who stream on multiple platforms all at once - whether that be movies, games or music).

Most Telstra bundles start with a base pricing of $90 a month for 500GB of data on their Medium bundle (small bundles are as of now, no longer in service), $120 for 1000GB and $140 for 1500GB which is considered unlimited data to most.

Splash out on an additional $20 or so a month and you will be able to upgrade your plan of choice to a ‘Very Fast’ connection with 50Mbps download speeds. Similarly, an top up of $30 a month will allow you an upgrade to Superfast 100Mbps internet, the maximum speed available today in Australia.

One of the downsides? Telstra tends to be on the pricier side in the NBN game, which may be an issue to those who are on a tight budget or those who simply do not want to splash out too much on an NBN connection. However, Telstra, without a doubt, is one of the most dependable ISPs and will provide you with consistently fast and efficient NBN services.

Belong

Belong NBN Broadband is another fantastic option which offers both lock in and month to month services to all users. This option makes it simple for users who may not be permanently grounded in one location or are simply not looking to be tied into a lock in contract. For those who do not have a problem with contracts, Belong also offers annual contracts that come at a slightly discounted rate as opposed to the month to month option - perfect for those looking for a long term NBN solution.

Belong offers its users broadband plans that range between 100GB of data or unlimited data. Tier 1 NBN speeds start off a very affordable $50 per month on a contract or $55 on a month to month connection. A slight increase to $65 to $75 a month will get you a bonus of unlimited data at Tier 1 levels. Looking for more than a Tier 1 connection? Fret not as you will be able to upgrade your Belong Broadband plans to anything between Tier 2 and Tier 5 speeds for an additional $10 or $30 respectively once you secure your Tier 1 connection.

So, what about the downsides? For a Belong NBN connection, you will need to have a top-quality WiFi unit as well as software to initiate setup and installation which will cost you an additional $60, unless you subscribe to a year long contract. Overall, Belong is a highly affordable service for those who are on a budget or are not looking to splash out extravagant amounts for an NBN connection.

__________

Got more questions? Do not hesitate to call us today to find out more about both Telstra and Belong NBN plans.

Image Source: Shutterstock

Telstra has a long and rich history in the Australian telecommunications industry. Telstra initially started as a government owned organisation and was founded by the Commonwealth in 1975. Back then, Telstra was the country’s only telco and they were solely responsible for providing communications connections throughout the country.

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See how Telstra stacks up against other providers

Compare Broadband cannot guarantee that all plans or providers shown will be available at your property address. Connection and plan availability will need to be confirmed by the internet service provider. Additional charges may apply for non-standard connections.

Optus NBN Plans vs Telstra NBN Plans

NBN broadband comparisons

Optus NBN Plans

Telstra NBN Plans

Amrita Bala

18/09/2017 03:44 PM

Welcome to another week of NBN broadband comparisons. In this week’s edition, we will be looking into both Optus and Telstra’s NBN plans that are currently on offer to the public. Both Optus and Telstra are giants in the telco industry, providing consistent and quality broadband connections to homes and offices all around Australia. In this article, we will look at the various plans offered by both companies inclusive of connection speed, data limits and differing prices. Read on to find out more.

Optus NBN Plans - Call 1300 106 571

Optus is one of the leading companies in Australia, proving mobile phone connections and NBN internet connections to hundreds of thousands of us Australians today. From the very get go, Optus offers their $80 My Basics bundle which boasts a basic maximum download speed of 12Mbps, again, the industry standard for Tier 1. For $90 a month, you can choose to upgrade to a Tier 2 speeds of 25Mbps, whilst $100 per month will get you download speeds of up to 50Mbps. If you’re looking for the fastest internet speeds available in today’s market, adding $30 to your My Basic bundle will get you top NBN speeds of up to 100Mbps. Aside from efficient and reliable NBN broadband, all the mentioned plans come with a bonus of unlimited standard local calls to landlines. On top of all that, Optus also offers access to Fetch, starting at $80 a month. All plans are available on a 2 year contract or on a month to month option, with the latter costing you an upfront fee of $200 which will be waived if you commit to Optus long term.

The most basic NBN bundle that Telstra offers comes with maximum download speeds of 25Mbps, with speed boosts available on purchase if you are looking for a speed upgrade. Most bundles start off at $90 a month for 500GB of data on a Medium bundle, $120 for 1000GB and $140 for 1500GB which is essentially unlimited data for the month.

An extra $20 a month will see you upgrading your plan of choice to a ‘Very Fast’ connection with 50Mbps download speeds. Following suit, an additional $30 a month will get you upgraded to Superfast 100 Mbps speeds, the maximum speed available to us today.

Similar to Optus, Telstra NBN broadband plans also come with the option of adding a Foxtel or Telstra TV subscription which gives you access to streaming services such as Netflix and Stan.

Why are TPG and Dodo so cheap, and Telstra so expensive?

What's the catch with cheap plans?

How can some providers provide so many free calls?

What is contention ratio?

Adam Wajnberg

16/08/2017 10:24 AM

When hunting around for a broadband connection, you might eventually find that prices fall into a handful of trenches – very cheap plans with tons of data, expensive plans with lots of services (some of which you may not need) and then BigPond, which is in a price universe all its own.

But why is there such a big price difference between the low and high end of the market? What’s the value differentiator? We all like paying the cheapest price possible, but there’s that aching ‘too good to be true’ sense you get when you see a massive gulf between two companies.

It doesn’t seem right, does it? The TPG plan contains, pound for pound, more value than either the Optus or BigPond plan – but the Optus plan is still reasonable in comparison, while the BigPond plan, to many eyes, seems outrageously expensive. What could Telstra broadband be offering to justify such a gap in price?

Differentiators

Each company that provides telecommunications has a pretty standard checklist of expenses that they have to pay for. In a very, very simplified form, this might be broken down as:

1. Wholesale access price to the infrastructure (ie. cables and networks) that deliver your connection)2. Payroll for customer service, technical support and credit management3. Payroll for engineering staff and back office4. Advertising

An ISP can limit their exposure to these costs in the following ways:

1. Owning their own infrastructure, rather than leasing it off another firm2. Outsourcing customer service and technical support to offshore middle-income economies like India and the Phillipines, 3. Allowing for automatic direct debit only, billing in advance instead of in arrears, so there’s no chasing up customers for unpaid bills4. Outsourcing engineering to contractors5. Keeping advertising to a relative minimum

The three examples we’ve chosen are for companies who are ‘majority wholesalers’. Telstra, Optus and TPG all own their own fibre-optic network, equipment at the exchange, and even their own undersea links. That makes a big difference – it means that for 99% of the connection (100% in Telstra’s case), they own and operate the equipment ferrying your connection to the rest of the world, and don’t have to lease a circuit on another company’s network. For Optus and TPG, the only bit they have to lease is the copper line from the exchange to your home, which belongs to Telstra.

All three companies will engage in some offshoring, either in whole or in part, of their customer service and technical support teams.

TPG has the cheapest and simplest advertising, with print, radio and TV ads that contain no actors, just a price and checklist of what’s on offer. Telstra and Optus have comprehensive national campaigns across all media, as well as huge sponsorship agreements.

Telstra and Optus have the profile of being ‘carrier-grade’. They both own huge mobile networks, satellite links and other hard infrastructure that dwarfs TPG. This contributes to their higher pricing, but their ability to control so much of the delivery should equalize prices as well. More significantly, Telstra and Optus have a deeper brand as older, bigger companies, and they also have a direct retail presence. TPG has no retail stores of its own.

TPG uses direct debit and upfront payments to limit their exposure to unpaid bills – connection fees have to be paid on the spot, and bills are debited automatically from a savings account or credit card. This allows them to operate without debt, to an extent. But it also means that people uncomfortable with this arrangement cannot enjoy their services- this precludes people who like to pay for their bills with cash, in a post office.

Finally, in the case of Telstra being significantly more expensive than both Optus and TPG, it’s worth considering Telstra’s status as the backbone of everyone’s connection. Telstra provides service to the entire country, whereas TPG and Dodo ‘cherry pick’ the distribution areas with high populations. Telstra is the only company that can do this, as it owns the ‘last mile’ network that links every home in the country. The overheads and responsibilities on Telstra are very high, so their higher prices might be construed as their way to balance out the customers who are expensive to service, with those who are cheap to service (a form of cross subsidy). But Telstra would likely be unwilling to attribute their higher prices to that, instead relying on their still-strong brand as justification for higher prices.

Where do the free calls come from?

Phone calls are still actually quite expensive to make, at least the old fashioned way. Though it seems hard to imagine, when you make a standard voice call from Melbourne to Perth, there is an actual physical link right up to each handset. That’s an analogue call.

The alternative is to have your voice sent analogue to the exchange, where your provider repackages it as digital data, sends it along the internet, and repackages it on the other end. This is Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP), no question about it. But unlike VoIP connections used in your home, it incorporates the public analogue telephone service to increase ease of use and audio fidelity.

Switching a landline call to an air call is still expensive though, which is why most free call packages don’t include calls to mobiles. Optus and Telstra are able to do it mainly because they’re the biggest mobile network providers as well, meaning that the fees charged to landline providers for mobile switching goes back into their pockets anyway.

Dodo’s plan is very cheap- but Dodo doesn’t have their own wholesale network.

Internode’s plan is comparatively expensive, and comes with less data, But Internode actually do own their own wholesale network – and as part of the iiNet, are part of their 2nd largest DSL network in Australia. So what gives?

Contention

*DISCALIMER* - Boosting contention is a common method for keeping costs down and allowing for more connections, used by service providers all over the world. But no company releases official figures for how much, where and to what extent they use contention, so the following is purely conjecture.

Dodo is a majority retailer – they don’t own their own network, and rely on Optus, Telstra and Eftel to provide the bulk of their connections – mostly Optus. And even though Optus Wholesale is quite affordable for smaller ISPs, Dodo’s price is still remarkably cheap, given the factors involved. Dodo offshores its tech support and customer service, and despite some pervasive advertising, otherwise adheres to the usual cost-cutting measures for a smaller firm in a very competitive market.

The other way a small firm like Dodo can compete on price is by boosting what’s known as Contention, or Contention Ratios. A really brutal but effective metaphor is a publican cutting his beer with water, but it’s not as bad as all that.

Mobile and Cable broadband are highly contended methods of providing a broadband connection – both rely on customers connecting to a central point with limited capacity, and the more people who jump on, the less speed everyone gets. ADSL (broadband over copper telephone lines, which is the connection method we’re comparing) is less contended – your line services just your home, all the way to the exchange. The exchange is very well fed by fibre optic networks with plenty of spare capacity, and besides – there’s only a limited number of ports at each exchange. At a certain point, the capacity can’t be ‘shared’ anymore.

Or can it? Smaller firms can over-contend an individual port, effectively cutting the speed of two customers in half. Kinda. The effect is more that if one customer is completely ‘maxing out’ their connection, the other customer sharing that port will find their speed suffering.Otherwise, two customers using their connection for lower-bandwidth activities (email, browsing) will find no difference in the quality of connection.

There’s nothing wrong or underhanded with boosting contention ratios. It’s a legitimate way to offer a connection to more people, in a situation with finite resources- and it is, of course, how a companies can keep their prices low in the face of limited resources. Very few people max out their connection speed for more than a few minutes at a time (like when downloading a file, or streaming hi-def video). It can mean internet ‘traffic jams’, when everyone’s connection in a neighbourhood can get congested at busy times – like 6 pm, when everyone has gotten home from work and school and might be downloading movies to watch that evening.

Contention boosting will be less of a problem for fixed-line in the future, when all (or at least most) of the network is replaced with all fibre-optic lines, dramatically boosting the speed and capacity of networks. Or at least, contention might still be used as a cost-cutting measure, but with less noticeable effects thanks to the overall much higher speeds.

It is worth noting - companies that rely on other firms to provide more of their connection will be more likely to use contention. When deciding between two plans that look equal, it's fair to consider to what degree each company relies on another to provide the connection to the internet.

A boutique approach

Internode is more expensive because frankly, they don’t skimp on anything. Internode has always operated as something of a blue-chip, white-glove affair, a network for people who take their connections seriously. They’ve always boasted excellent technology, from the equipment they use to build their network, to the modems and routers they sell. All of their support, sales and service staff are based in Australia, well trained and able to help you with just about anything. Their senior management, right up to founder and former managing director Simon Hackett, regularly engage with their customer base on social media and discussion forums like Whirlpool.

Internode charges more to pay for this extra level of service, and keeps their data limits lower to avoid having to boost contention ratios, or taking other steps that might inadvertently lower the quality of their network.

Conclusion

It’s worth doing your homework before signing up for a plan, but the main differentiators between providers can be more or less summarized like this:

Telstra, Optus – Carrier grade, you’re paying as much for brand as you are for service. TPG, Primus, Eftel – all wholesalers in their own right, lower prices might just be lower because their overheads are lower.

Internode, iiNet – huge wholesale network, but prices are higher to pay for onshore support and service

As always, give us a call on 1300 106 571 and we can help narrow down the wide range of options to a few providers who suit your needs!

Configuring your old iiNet, Telstra or Optus modem to use with your new provider

Most modems are easily reconfigurable

Popular manufacturers include Belkin, Netgear & Netcomm

Telstra, Optus & iiNet all have their own branded modems

Maggy Liu

19/06/2017 12:56 PM

For the most part, fixed plans where you get a ‘free’ mobile phone are easily to understand. For example, in exchange for using a particular service plan for 24 months, mobile providers will gift you with the latest and greatest handset. That’s because, in the long run, the contract offsets the couple of hundred dollar price tag of the device.

With ADSL2+ broadband services, the relationship between hardware and contract length is harder to buy. Many providers still want you to commit to a 2-year contract, but the prize they offer is a modem/router that would only cost you about $100 retail. For many people who have had a broadband connection in the past, the deal is even less appealing– you already have a modem/router, so why would you sign away your flexibility for a piece of hardware that you already own?

The secret these companies don’t want you to know is that modems/routers are very unglamorous technology, more akin to a toaster than a mobile phone. In other words, a good one should last you for years without any need to upgrade, unless standards significantly change or your old one breaks. For the most part, a modem/router is something that sits in a forgotten corner near the phone line, only getting attention once in a blue moon for a reset, or for when the cat needs a warm spot to curl up in.

With that in mind, many service providers now offer short contracts with no modem/router included, to attract people who value flexibility, are on short-term leases, and/or own the hardware already.

Wait a minute…what is a modem/router anyway?

A modem is a device that plugs into your phone line, interprets the electrical signal into something your computer can understand.

Fun fact: “Modem” is a word made up of MOdulator and DEModulator. ‘Modulation’ is the act of turning raw data into transferrable digital bits and pieces; so the modem MOdulates the data you send, and DEModulates the data you receive!

A router on the other hand is a device that takes that connection from the modem, and forwards data from one network to another, in most cases you will have just one piece of technology – a modem-router that handles both tasks.

What do you mean by ‘reconfigure’?

Many modems are not built to meet the specific needs of a particular service provider. They’re made and sold as common pieces of equipment for anyone to buy from a JB Hi-Fi or Harvey Norman store. So when Telstra home internetgives you a modem with your contract, it comes pre-configured with details relevant to the Telstra connection – but you can easily go into the settings of your modem and change some of those settings to work with your new service provider.

Note – these tips are for changing the basic settings only as many of these re-badged modems have certain settings locked, which requires a good deal of technical knowledge to overcome.

Many technical support teams are trained to deal with modems that their company doesn’t offer, so it’s always a good idea to check with technical support too if required.

Telstra modems

For the last 5 or 6 years, Telstra has used modems manufactured by 2Wire and Technicolor. The 2Wire modems are very common, and most technical support teams should be proficient in reconfiguring them.

2Wire 2701HGV-W

Instructions:

1. Open your browser (Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari or Chrome). 2. In the address bar, type in http://gateway.2wire.net3. You will see this screen

4. Click on ‘Broadband Link’ on the top menu5. Select ‘Advanced Settings in the Broadband Link sub-menu6. Under ‘Broadband Network’, select ‘PPPoE’ in the Connection type drop down menu (this will usually be pre-selected)7. In the username and password field, you should see your old Telstra email address and password. Change these to the relevant details with your new service provider, and then click ‘Save’ at the bottom.8. Wait for the modem to re-authenticate. This process usually takes around 2 minutes. Try turning the modem on and off again, or unplugging and replugging it if required.

Technicolour 587NV3

Technicolor used to be known as Thomson, a French 150 year old multi-national company. They changed their name in the hopes of capturing the US market, where their ‘Technicolor’ film technology was their only product with household recognition.

Instructions:

1. Open your browser (Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari or Chrome). 2. In the address bar, type in 192.168.1.254 or http://dsldevice.lan3. You will see this screen

4. Click on Broadband Connection5. Click on Internet services6. Click on Internet7. Click on Details8. In the username and password field you should see your old Telstra email address and password. Change these to the relevant details with your new service provider, and then click ‘Save’ at the bottom.9. Wait for the modem to re-authenticate. This process usually takes around 2 minutes. Try turning the modem on and off again, or unplugging and replugging it if required.

Optus modems

Netgear DG834GU v5

Optus internet plans have been providing this Netgear Wi-Fi modem/router as a freebie for most plans for a little while now, and as such, it’s not the most fantastic modem – but can definitely do the job.

iiNet developed the BoB line of modems to be a router and more. The first one was a rebranded Belkin, and they have just about every feature under the sun, including advanced VoIP configurations. It also doesn’t hurt that they’re also rather sleek and gorgeous to look at.

Belkin’s own N-300 modem is the retail, non-branded equivalent of the first BoB, and adheres to the same commands.

iiNet developed the Bob Lite themselves, including the hardware. Same goes for the Bob 2. For all three of these units, the log-in page is the same.

Instructions:

- Open your browser (Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari or Chrome). - In the address bar, type in 10.1.1.1- If you’re asked for a username and password, the default for both is ‘admin’- In all three modems, there should be an ‘ISP settings’ page. - Enter the appropriate details from your service provider, save and reset and you should be good to go!

As you can see, the method to follow are the same for most of these modems. With a few exceptions, the majority of your old modem/routers can be reconfigured for further use with a new service provider. All you need are the username and password details for your new ISP, and the browser address your modem can be reached at. If you don’t have these on hand, you can always call the manufacturer to access these details.

Telstra NBN Plans vs Belong NBN Plans

Telstra is home to a wide variety of NBN bundles for customers to choose from

Belong NBN Broadband is another fantastic option which offers both lock in and month to month services to all users.

Belong is a highly affordable service for those who are on a budget or are not looking to splash out extravagant amounts for an NBN connection.

Amrita Bala

19/06/2017 12:54 PM

Welcome to this week’s NBN Plan comparison! This time round, we will be looking into plans provided by both Telstra NBN and Belong NBN. Although Belong is a sector that was launched by Telstra itself, both brands offer users different services, plans and pricing points. In this article, we will look at what each brand offers to its users, in a bid to assist you in picking the best NBN plan that suits both you and your family’s needs the best. Read on to find out more!

Telstra

Telstra is home to a wide variety of NBN bundles for customers to choose from, all based on varying data allowances and needs. The most basic of Telstra bundles for the NBN come with maximum download speeds of 25Mbps, with speed boosts available on purchase if you are looking for superfast internet speeds (ideal for those who stream on multiple platforms all at once - whether that be movies, games or music).

Most Telstra bundles start with a base pricing of $90 a month for 500GB of data on their Medium bundle (small bundles are as of now, no longer in service), $120 for 1000GB and $140 for 1500GB which is considered unlimited data to most.

Splash out on an additional $20 or so a month and you will be able to upgrade your plan of choice to a ‘Very Fast’ connection with 50Mbps download speeds. Similarly, an top up of $30 a month will allow you an upgrade to Superfast 100Mbps internet, the maximum speed available today in Australia.

One of the downsides? Telstra tends to be on the pricier side in the NBN game, which may be an issue to those who are on a tight budget or those who simply do not want to splash out too much on an NBN connection. However, Telstra, without a doubt, is one of the most dependable ISPs and will provide you with consistently fast and efficient NBN services.

Belong

Belong NBN Broadband is another fantastic option which offers both lock in and month to month services to all users. This option makes it simple for users who may not be permanently grounded in one location or are simply not looking to be tied into a lock in contract. For those who do not have a problem with contracts, Belong also offers annual contracts that come at a slightly discounted rate as opposed to the month to month option - perfect for those looking for a long term NBN solution.

Belong offers its users broadband plans that range between 100GB of data or unlimited data. Tier 1 NBN speeds start off a very affordable $50 per month on a contract or $55 on a month to month connection. A slight increase to $65 to $75 a month will get you a bonus of unlimited data at Tier 1 levels. Looking for more than a Tier 1 connection? Fret not as you will be able to upgrade your Belong Broadband plans to anything between Tier 2 and Tier 5 speeds for an additional $10 or $30 respectively once you secure your Tier 1 connection.

So, what about the downsides? For a Belong NBN connection, you will need to have a top-quality WiFi unit as well as software to initiate setup and installation which will cost you an additional $60, unless you subscribe to a year long contract. Overall, Belong is a highly affordable service for those who are on a budget or are not looking to splash out extravagant amounts for an NBN connection.

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Got more questions? Do not hesitate to call us today to find out more about both Telstra and Belong NBN plans.

Telstra has a long and rich history in the Australian telecommunications industry. Telstra initially started as a government owned organisation and was founded by the Commonwealth in 1975. Back then, Telstra was the country’s only telco and they were solely responsible for providing communications connections throughout the country.

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